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Kulturlandschaft
Ersatzanordnung

Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

Vorhaltigkeit

English translation:

proactive sustainability

Added to glossary by Julia Burgess
Jan 28, 2020 11:24
4 yrs ago
44 viewers *
German term

Vorhaltigkeit

German to English Other Environment & Ecology Sustainability
Specifically, what is the difference between Vorhaltigkeit and Nachhaltigkeit? How can they be distinguished?

Minimal context: key words/phrases listed by the director of an Austrian centre for arts/science who is being interviewed about the future:

Künstliche Intelligenz
Roboter
**Vorhaltigkeit statt Nachhaltigkeit**
Kreative Technologie
...

There's no mention of either term or concept in the interview text itself.

Best attempt so far: Future viability instead of sustainability (I need to keep it brief for the context).

For UK-EN
Proposed translations (English)
5 proactive sustainability
4 +2 sustaining rather than sustainable
3 +1 adaptability
4 Forward thinking
3 Upstream preparation
3 conceiving instead of conserving/concept development, not conservation
3 Planning for sustainability
3 preparedness
3 stewardship
2 (holding out for) pre-sustainability (ex ante)
2 prophylactic ecology
References
Regenerative development

Discussion

oa_xxx (X) Jan 29, 2020:
I’d probably go for something like regenerative development over sustainable development, tho it embraces and goes beyond the notion of sustainability rather than replacing it. The aim is to not only sustain but improve the status quo, and to do so of course requires forward planning, and making sustainable practices integral to every aspect of society and industry from the get go, as well as going a step further to restore and replenish our ecosystems - plant 2 trees for every one felled, foster renewables but also drastically reduce energy consumption, recycle but also reduce the need for it through better product design, materials, upcycling etc. The Vor- and Nach- in German seems like a nice word play but also creates a somewhat inaccurate impression in my opinion, it does at least suggest the vital need for systemic change - another buzzword! - which is also covered by regenerative development.
Ramey Rieger (X) Jan 28, 2020:
Playing with Andrew's suggestion sustainability with foresight
prudent sustainability
premeditated sustainability (oooh I like that one!)
Ramey Rieger (X) Jan 28, 2020:
The article I'm referring to https://www.oekoworld.com/fileadmin/media_oekoworld/Bilder_f...
Ramey Rieger (X) Jan 28, 2020:
Reading the article, I am convinced this has to with better investment planning to secure ethical environmentalism as well as economic growth (I'm getting to really abhor that concept!). Suspended (as in the musical interpretation) means to hold onto what is there is such a way that it develops something new on its own. A suspended note carries over into the expanded sound using overtones. It is a passive process. Perhaps something along the lines of natural growth vs. sustainability.
Ramey Rieger (X) Jan 28, 2020:
foresight/forethought vs. sustaining what is As I understand it, Vorhaltigkeit is foresight, caution, careful use, less is more mentality, whereas Nachhaltigkeit is preserving the resources that exist. Vorhalt derives from existing resources, not exploit further resources, Nachhaltigkeit would try to stem the damage. Interesting enough, vorhalt is a musical term for suspended notes, the sound hangs in the air after it is played, it resonates with other more dominant notes. A sustained note (getragen/ausgehalten), on the other hand, is held over and clearly defined. Drawing on this, I would say the difference between the two is concept (development) vs. conservation. Maybe that helps?
Julia Burgess (asker) Jan 28, 2020:
vor vs nach Can the juxtaposition of the terms be interpreted as something like: planning for the future instead of simply preserving the past/status quo? (Rather too wordy for my context, admittedly.) I feel that the idea of 'planning/doing something in advance' should probably get a mention - as Jennie, Jonathan and Lancashireman are suggesting.

Proposed translations

2 hrs
Selected

proactive sustainability

...as opposed to reactive sustainablity when it might be too late already...
Reference:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Vorhaltigkeit&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjGx6aVvabnAhWIDewKHZ9ADUkQ_AUoAnoECAsQBA&biw=1517&bih=730

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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks to everyone who chipped in. All your suggestions fed into my final choice for the whole phrase (A more proactive approach to sustainability), but this was perhaps the closest. "
+1
16 mins

adaptability

**adaptability instead of sustainability **

Perhaps adaptability or durability would describe "Vorhaltigkeit" in this context.

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/08/opinion/against-sustainab...
Peer comment(s):
agree Michael Martin, MA : Saw this source, too. Looking for something in a similar vein.
4 hrs
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22 mins

Upstream preparation

There is not much to go on except " Diese Aktivitäten im Vorfeld («Vorhaltigkeit»)" in a Swiss article, for which I can no longer find the link. Will keep searching.

But this is my take on an English equivalent.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 25 mins (2020-01-28 11:50:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Here is a link
https://www.yumpu.com/de/document/view/21660789/ganze-medien...
Example sentence:

Diese Aktivitäten im Vorfeld («Vorhaltigkeit») link forthcoming

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20 mins

Forward thinking

Would that fit?


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 25 mins (2020-01-28 11:50:44 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://www.urbanminer.at/urbane-minen
Example sentence:

"Forward thinking instead of sustainability" or "Forward thinking instead of intenable"

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36 mins

conceiving instead of conserving/concept development, not conservation

Something along these lines
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27 mins
German term (edited): Vorhaltigkeit statt Nachhaltigkeit

Planning for sustainability

https://www.planningforsustainability.co.uk/

instead of sustainability isn't going to work in EN. It makes it sound like something undesirable. Both Vorhaltigkeit and Nachhaltigkeit mean sustainabilty, but with Vorhaltigkeit, the stress is on planning ahead. When paired with Nachhaltigkeit, it creates a play on words suggesting a meaning that is not necessarily present in the second element, namely lack of foresight.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 43 mins (2020-01-28 12:08:04 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Planned rather than haphazard/disorganised sustainability, i.e. instead of scrabbling around trying to clear up past mistakes. I don't think this is anything to do with "preserving the past/status quo".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 52 mins (2020-01-28 12:16:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Hi Julia
"Sustainability planning" sounds like a DE compound noun transposed directly into EN. "Planning for sustainability" has a more natural ring to it. I think the "greater" element is understood from the context.
LG
AJS
Note from asker:
How about "greater sustainability planning"?
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2 hrs

(holding out for) pre-sustainability (ex ante)

As all readers will or should know, Vorhaltigkeit is a pun on vorhalten meaning to show or 'hold out' e.g. in court or a travel ticket on public transport.

statt Nachhaltigkeit > instead of sustainability ex post facto or after the event.
Example sentence:

Pre Sustainability. Environmental consulting and social sustainability based on life cycle thinking. Sustainability metrics for innovation, strategy...

Reference:

http://feedreader.com/observe/pre-sustainability.com

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+2
5 hrs

sustaining rather than sustainable

In line with especially the second source below, 'sustaining' means more forward-looking, going beyond managing (the mistakes of) historical practices and overcoming the dichotomy between economy and nature.

Compare with this:
"Der Begriff der „Vorhaltig-keit“ trifft es aus meiner Sicht besser als der Marketingbegriff Nachhaltigkeit. Denn wir schauen nach vorne und setzen auf die Gewinner der Zukunft – nicht auf die Ge-winner der Vergangenheit." https://www.oekoworld.com/fileadmin/media_oekoworld/Bilder_f...

This source drills a little deeper:
"We might call this new world of commerce sustaining rather than sustainable, which suggests to us a more fulfilling agenda than the maintenance of a damaging system. Why choose a meager, limiting diet when we can create real sustenance with designs as safe, nutritious and productive as those nature gives us?" https://mcdonough.com/writings/design-triple-top-line/
Peer comment(s):
agree Steffen Walter : Or "sustenance rather than sustainability" as a noun-based option.
2 hrs
Good point.
agree Veronika Neuhold
2 days 4 hrs
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16 hrs

prophylactic ecology

prophylactic, in English, is mostly a medical term, but it contains the sense of anticipatory problem avoidance of Vorhaltigkeit
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1 day 20 hrs

preparedness

I think this puts it in a nutshell
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2 days 10 hrs

stewardship

"stewardship rather than sustainability"

environmental stewardship ~ Umweltvorsorge
Example sentence:

The concluding section shows how environmental stewardship is ultimately a moral choice, requiring an important shift of heart and mind.

This section concludes with a discussion of how stewardship, rather than sustainability, is the appropriate goal for a religion-based environmental movement.

Reference:

https://today.oregonstate.edu/news/large-transnational-corporations-play-critical-role-global-natural-resource-management

https://rsc.byu.edu/stewardship-creation/environmental-stewardship-economic-prosperity

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Reference comments

1 day 10 hrs
Reference:

Regenerative development

“Regenerative development is the use of resources to improve society's well being in a way that builds the capacity of the support systems needed for future growth. What sustainable development is to traditional economic development, regenerative development is to sustainable development.”

See also: regenerative design, culture, economy

Nachhaltig - remember that even though the word play in German implies a ‘before and after’ scenario, taking action in advance of or after (in reaction to) an event - and that connotation is no doubt why Vorhaltigkeit has been coined in this context - that is not what Nachhaltigkeit means.
Reference:

http://designsciencelab.com/resources/Regenerative-Development.pdf

https://capitalinstitute.org/

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